Being Vegan, Vegan Being: Deiony Moreno – I Decided to be Vegan the Moment I Began Loving Myself.

I live in Omaha, Ne and am a freelance model. Most of my attention goes into my art, however. My artist name is lsdeiony. You can find my work @lsdeionyart!

Through art, I wish to spark a conversation in your mind. I believe art is the closest thing to magic we humans have the potential for. My inspirations are Katsushika Hokusai, Rick Griffin, Marijke Kroger, Bob Ross, Keiichi Tanaami, Lynda Bell, and Leonardo da Vinci. Also, veganism, minimalism, and love inspire me each and every single day! I hope you love yourself enough to want to always improve. Now, what will you create?

What was the moment you realize that you wanted to go vegan?

The moment that I decided to be vegan is the moment I began loving myself.

How long have you been Vegan?

I have been vegan for three years now!

Why is being Vegan important to you?

Being vegan is important to me because I consider it ignorant not to be. Also, my body is my only true home and I want to take care of it in the greatest ways and with the best possible resources. I want to thrive, not only survive.

Any recommended sociaI sites?

I highly recommend following vegans on instagram like @fullyrawkristina, @rawvana, @chakabars, @silver.matthew, and @scobyscum.

Do you have a favorite movie or videos or your own media that you want to share?

I try to promote veganism through my art mediums: photography and drawing. I am a nude, fine art model (@lsdeiony on instagram) and use my vegan body to demonstrate the effects of being vegan. I also try to make my drawings about veganism whenever the idea fits the artwork.

What is your favorite vegan meme?

What is the vegan stereotype you hear the most and how do you respond to it?

The vegan stereotype I hear the most is how annoying vegans are “how do you know someone is a vegan? They’ll tell you.” I respond to that by saying, “so you think caring about your health enough to want to share information with others bothers you to the point of annoyance?”.

What’s your favorite Vegan restaurant?

My favorite vegan restaurant is Modern Love! My fiancé, Hunter (@scobyscum) actually works there as the kitchen manager!!

1 cup lentils – bring 3 cups of water to a boil and pour lentils in. Boil for 5 minutes and then reduce heat to low until they are tender.

1 sweet potato – cut lengthwise in half and then repeat on haves. Now dice into cubes

2 cans organic black beans – open and drain

1 can of tomato purée (sauce)

1 jar salsa verde(optional)

1 cup quinoa (optional) – bring two cups of water to a boil and add quinoa. Cook until water evaporates or quinoa is open and tender.

Spices

Basil – 2 tsp

Cumin – 2 tbsp

Oregano – 1 tbsp

Paprika – 1 tbsp

Chili powder – 2 tsp

Coconut amino or salt – 1 tbsp then to taste

Nutritional yeast – 3 tbsp

Sweet potato spices

Paprika – 2 tsp

Turmeric – 1 1/2 tsp

Rosemary – 2 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp

Turn on oven to 425 degrees. First cut your sweet potato and pour 2 tsp of oil over them in a bowl. Give it a shake and toss the oil evenly. Sprinkle on the spices as you keep the bowl in motion. Put them on an oiled or non stick pan and in the oven. Check them in 12 minutes. In the meantime grab a pot to cook chili in. Place on stove and turn heat on low. Now begin cutting onion and throwing it straight into the pot. Then the bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeños. All thrown in the pot after cutting. Now place the lid on the pot and turn the heat to 2 or medium low. Check those sweet potatoes and give them a shake in the pan. Place back in the oven and check them in 10 minutes. Begin dicing the tomatoes, slicing mushrooms and zucchini. Grab a spoon and stir the pot. Now add the spices and continually stir the pot for about a minute or two. Throw in your tomatoes and place the lid back on top. Check those sweet pots now and they should be fork tender. (stab a fork in; does it go through smooth?) If so, turn off the oven and give that pot a stir. Time to throw in the mushrooms and zucchini. Stirring once more and place lid back. Turn up heat to 4 or medium and let it cook down for about 10 minutes. In the meantime drain beans and open can of tomato purée or sauce. Take a look in the pot. Add beans, sweet pots, and tomato sauce and chili verde salsa if using. Stir well and place lid back on. Let it all cook together for 5 minutes longer. Add nutritional yeast and coconut amino(salt). Let cook for another two minutes and taste for salt and any extra spices to your liking. Serve over greens and top with avocado, cilantro and lime.]

Some encouraging words for new Vegans?

Be patient with yourself and do your OWN research. What other vegans tell you will never be enough to make you a successful vegan on your own.

What does living cruelty-free mean to you?

Living cruelty-free is one of my values and is something important enough to be a part of.

What are you favorite Vegan non-food products or companies?

I love toothpaste by auromère!

What is the toughest Vegan item to find that you need?

There are no tough items to find that I don’t see a way to veganize it. But, I would definitely say there are only a couple of vegan pancake mix boxes (I usually have to substitute the egg or butter with flax/chia seed or a banana)!

Talk about a time when you struggled with your Veganism?

I struggled with veganism when I was living with my mother (in small town Columbus, NE) in between apartments. It is hard to be vegan in small towns where organic foods or certain products are not as requested as they are in big cities (like here in Omaha, where I live).